


Bed of Knives

by LyricDreamweaver



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Anal Sex, Drama, Dubious Consent, First Time, Just so much drama, Lore has his facial tic, M/M, Pre-Canon, Sibling Incest, psuedo-incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-26
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2019-02-06 22:54:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12827856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyricDreamweaver/pseuds/LyricDreamweaver
Summary: But why did Noonian deactivate and disassemble Lore? And how did B4 get into Shinzon's hands? And what was life like on that little Earth colony before Data was made?





	Bed of Knives

**Author's Note:**

> ~~This is stupid and dramatic and badly paced.~~

Often, they're up before the sun rises on Omicron Theta. Lore hates the duties that come with a farm colony, often complaining about how on a more civilized planet, he would be respected. B4 keeps quiet and nods, though he likes the quiet of being on a farm so far from the village. 

This morning, B4's standing stock-still in the cold, the sun just barely touching the planet, staring at a grapevine - Lore's doing - that's gone brown and fallow with the creeping onset of winter. Lore's steps are quiet as he comes to stand beside his brother, putting an arm around B4's waist.

"What're you staring at?"

B4 points, not saying a word. 

Lore squints, staring between the curls and ringlets of brown vine. Then he breaks into a grin when he sees it: A bird's nest.

"The eggs will be cold," B4 complains softly, not much louder than a whisper against Lore's ear.

Lore sighs as he drops his hand from his brother's side. He takes the nest - the whole nest - in both hands, offering it to B4. "It's empty, see?"

B4 traces the stolen fur, the breast-feathers that line the nest, rejoicing quietly to himself that the nest is empty. "Where did they go?"

"Somewhere warmer," Lore explains, tossing the nest off to the side, into the brush. 

There's a wet crack.

B4's eyes widen and he shoves Lore aside to kneel by the wreckage of the nest. Lore cranes his neck to look over his older brother' shoulder and catches the edges of matte grey and a glistening pink. 

It takes a moment for Lore to process just what he's seeing. 

The thing - since it's definitely not a normal bird - was dead and would never have hatched. It's missing both legs, the torso ending in a pink roundness, a stump where tail feathers might have grown in. It's neck is bent oddly - broken - and its heart is outside of its chest, still and shining and red in the morning light.

B4 scoops the deformed, broken thing up into his hands, mouth parted slightly with sorrow and he looks up at Lore, eyes full of tears.

"Put it down, B," Lore hisses. When B4 doesn't comply, Lore slaps the thing out of his brother's hands, flesh landing in the dirt with a wet sound. "It's dead. Don't touch it."

"Dead?" 

Lore drags his brother up by the neck of his sweater, then takes his hand to lead him inside. He shoves B4 against the sink, washing B4's hands.

"Dead, Lore?"

"Dead," Lore says firmly. 

He's explained the concept to him before since they had a cat - an orange tabby - that ran off only to be met with someone's pet targ. Lore found B4 in the middle of the night and the older android had tried to piece the cat back together with his bare hands, only succeeding in getting himself covered in cat-blood and dirt and tears and raising a hell of a ruckus. The emotional toll had send B4 into sleep mode for a good 28 hours.

"Dead," Lore says again, turning off the water and drying B4's hands with a towel.

"Dead," B4 repeats, slowly, like he's tasting the word for the first time.

Lore's head jerks to the side, mouth twisted into a grimace. It's a condition Lore's always had and B4 doesn't' say a word, letting Lore try to take control of himself.

With a sigh, Lore's tic stops. He looks over at B4 seriously. Lore sets the towel aside, taking B4’s hands into his own and simply holding them. “I told you before, but you shut down.”

“Oh.” B4 understands, though. 

Sometimes, as he puts it, he goes to sleep. As their creator, Dr. Soong, puts it, the simplistic nature of B4’s positronic brain (a failure, Lore understands) can be overstimulated to the point of the processes shutting down. It’s part of the reason Lore is sent to the village to barter while B4 stays home.

Lore kisses the corner of his older brother’s mouth, just once, and smiles at him. “You’re okay?”

B4 nods, but his brow furrows and he looks down at his hands.  
“Do you want to go feed the chickens?”

B4 nods again, taking Lore’s hand.

Lore gets a small container of dried worms for B4 to treat the chickens. Personally, Lore hates the birds, each of them glaring at him. But feeding them worms makes B4 happy and it distracts the chickens long enough for Lore to collect the eggs from the nesting box.  
Lore looks over, smiling as B4 sets to the task of ensuring each chicken gets enough to eat. The younger android shakes his head and gathers the eggs (six in all), bringing them inside.  
B4 comes inside a few minutes later, the container empty and a hen held in one arm, taking the android’s embrace in stride and clucking contentedly.

“Go put her back, B4,” Lore instructs.

“But she wanted me to hold her.”

“Chickens don’t want anything except to be fed,” Lore tells him. “Go.”

B4 pouts. The hen clucks. Lore crosses his arms and raises a brow.

B4, reluctantly, takes the chicken back outside. Lore stands in the doorway, watching just to make sure he doesn’t try to sneak the hen back inside. B4 looks over his shoulder and Lore nods. The hen goes back into her enclosure with a flap of her wings and an indignant screech.

When the older android comes inside, Lore makes him wash his hands again.

* * *

The girl from the village with the bright red hair who always smelled like fresh bread stops by again the next morning. She talks to Lore, laughing at something he said, her basket of goods swaying on the crook of her slender, freckled arm. She brought Lore cheese and bread, and he gave her eggs to take back to her home. 

B4 watched them, tilting his head like a dog trying to listen to a command, but staying mostly out of sight, leaned against the wall as if he could hide himself if he simply closed his eyes and willed himself invisible.

Only when she left did he ask.

“Lore? Why do you only talk to her before Father gets up?”

Lore turns, the corner of his mouth twitching, and tells him, “Don’t say a word about her.”

B4 nods, understanding, but asks, “Why does she need to be secret?”

Lore admits, “Because she’s in love with me.”

B4 doesn’t quite understand what that means. Perhaps it has something to do with Lore sneaking off into the middle of the night, cries coming from the barn. Or those nights when Lore vanishes, coming back home smelling like the girl and smiling and proud.

* * *

B4 finds Lore and the pretty girl by the barn one morning. Lore's lips are pressed to her throat, one hand under her dress. B4 turns away, knowing this isn't something he's supposed to see.

He hears the girl slap Lore's chest and B4 tries to make himself smaller, shying away from his brother and the girl.

“You didn’t tell me you had a twin.”

“Laura, I didn’t think it was important,” Lore explains. “And he’s not my twin.”

B4 feels upset by that, turning to leave. Laura lowers her voice but whatever she said must have been mean because Lore starts calling her name. She brushes pash B4, her face almost as red as her hair, freckles hidden under a blush of rage and shame.

Lore sighs, his head jerking, face grimacing. “Laura!”

She doesn’t turn back, disappearing down the hill.

“This is -” it takes Lore a second before he stops twitching. “This is all your fault, B4.”  
There’s something dark in his golden eyes, as though he’s just seeing B4 for the first time.

The younger android takes B4 by the hand, pulling him into the cool darkness of the barn. B4 follows, curious about the change in Lore's behaviour. Lore leads him to the hayloft, gently guiding B4 up the ladder.

"Lore?"

"Just. Get up there, B, I'll explain."

"Okay."

He climbs, catching the musky-sweet scent of hay, smiling a bit. Loe climb up after him, pulling B4 close and kissing him roughly.

"Lore?"

Lore's tearing at his clothes with a ferocity that makes B4 cry out half-alarmed and half-excited. Lore covers his mouth with a hand.

"You need to be quiet, B."

"Yes, Lore."

Lore shoves him down into the hay, B4 looking up wide-eyed and startled.

"Lore?" B4 whispers it, not wanting to upset his brother.

"Shush, B," Lore says, coming to kneel between B4's parted thighs. "Just be quiet, okay?"  
B4 nods and then Lore's mouth is on his. Lore tastes sweet and smells like the girl, Laura. B4 cups Lore's face in one hand. 

"I'm going to do something that'll feel good," Lore assures him, hands working at B4's trousers. "I promise you'll like it, B."

B4 simply watches as Lore strips him from the waist down. It's cold in the hayloft and B4 shivers. Then Lore's hands are on his knees, guiding them apart.

Lore's breath is hot on his thighs, his mouth wet as he kisses a slow trail up, lapping at B4's hole. 

"Lore!" B4 squirms. "Lore, you can't - "

"Can't what?" Lore asks. "I'm going to treat you like I treat her."

B4 bites his lip. He doesn't necessarily want this but he does want to learn about how Lore treats the girl. Slowly, he nods.

"Okay, Lore."

Lore hums and goes back to work getting B4 nice and wet. Once he thinks he's got enough saliva to make it work, Lore presses two fingers into B4.

"Lore," B4 whines as Lore stretches him, works him open.

"Hush, B," Lore says, gentle. While he fingers the older android, Lore kisses B4 again. "Love you, B, gonna make you feel good, I swear."

B4 feels a third finger press into him and it's more than he's ever had before and he almost shuts off. But Lore's kisses coax him back to himself.

Lore curls his fingers just so and B4 cries out, back arching. Lore assaults that spot, determined to make B4 moan and squirm.

Then he removes his hand. 

"Lore," B4 whines. He wants more of that wonderful thing Lore did. It felt incredibly good. "Lore, please - "

"I know, B, just be patient." Lore spits on B4's hole before lining himself up, feeding B4 every single centimeter slowly. "God."

B4 closes his eyes, not knowing how to process everything. It hurts since Lore's cock is bigger than his fingers. But Lore brushes that one spot that made B4 cry out and writhe with pleasure.

"Lore."

"I know, B."

Lore moves slowly, B4 moaning softly. Everything is so new and strange and he feels sensitive, like any little motion will make him explode with pleasure. He clutches at Lore, hips moving without B4 consciously putting effort into it.

The way he writhes and groans is so much better than Laura, Lore thinks, leaning in to kiss along B4's faux-pulse. His hands are on his older brother's hips, fucking him gently into the hay. Lore feels pleasure building in his body, coursing along himself.

And B4's sobbing with pleasure, not quite understanding how to process it. Lore kisses his tears away, enjoying that he has done this, made him feel something so good and so strongly.

Stroking B4's cock languidly, Lore murmurs, "Do it, B."

B4 comes with his mouth wide in a silent scream. Gold biofluid covers Lore's fist and the way B4 tenses seems to milk B4's cock. The younger android fills his brother with a long, low groan.

"Lore."

"I know, B." Lore pulls out and lays next to B4 in the hay, cuddling him for a while.

It takes a while for B4 to cool down, panting with the effort to cool himself off. He buries his face in Lore's chest.

"Can we do it again, Lore?" His voice is muffled in Lore's sweater.

Lore responds with a quiet laugh.

* * *

The trade ships didn't come often but B4 was always excited when he could hear the low hum of off-world engines. It was the only time he would be allowed to go into town, mostly just to help Lore carry things.

But Lore lets him carry the list today, often stopping to ask B4 what was next with a smile. B4 takes consulting the PADD very seriously, wanting to make Lore smile all the time.

Some food. Some parts. Noonian is thinking about making a new version of them, something with B4's thoughtful nature and a touch of Lore's humanity. 

B4 tugs on Lore's sleeve, gentle and timid.

"Yeah, B?"

"Is Father going to replace us?"

Lore puts an arm around B4, not minding the stares. Off-worlders weren't used to androids and the villagers didn't get to see B4 often.

"He won't replace us," Lore assures him.

"That a new robot?" 

Lore and B4 turn, in-sync, to stare at a Catian off-worlder.

"We're androids," Lore hissed.

"I'd be happy to take him-" the Caitian points at B4- "from you."

Lore pulls B4 closer to his side. "He's not something I can sell. He's my brother."

B4 clutches at Lore, scared of being sold off. "Lore."

"I know," Lore says, feeling B4 trembling at his side.

He leads B4 off, away from people and away from the off-world traders. Lore's forgotten everything except calming B4, cupping his face in both hands, staring into B4's eyes. 

"I'll get you a treat," Lore promises. 

"Lore?"

"I would never never sell you," Lore assures him. "You're not an object."

B4 hiccups, crying softly. Lore holds him close, presses his lips to B4's forehead, hoping to comfort him.

Lore goes slow, careful not to have B4 shutdown. He does most of the talking, makes sure no one so much as looks at B4 the wrong way. They walk home without a single word spoken between them, Lore having gotten B4 too many treats than Soong would appreciate.

But B4's calmer and that’s what matters to Lore.

* * *

The next time they have sex, B4 initiates it. He kisses Lore gently, pulling him into the barn.

This time they don't bother with the effort of climbing to the hayloft. 

B4's smarter about wearing clothes that are easier to get off. Lore smiles into every little kiss he plants on B4's lips, feeds into his parted mouth.

And Lore brought actual lubricant this time, carrying it on him since he planned to initiate things anyway. 

He holds B4 up, fucking him against the wall. B4's cooperative and as quiet as he can be, though he still cries when Lore fucks him just right. B4 clings to Lore, clutching at him as he rides Lore's cock, as Lore kisses him roughly.

B4 cums first, crying out against Lore's neck, tears soaking into the collar of Lore's sweater. Lore presses B4 against the wall hard enough to bruise, filling him.

Panting, B4 places little kisses along Lore's neck and jaw.

"Lore?"

Lore slowly sets B4 down, helping the older android look decent instead of freshly-fucked. "Yeah, B?"

"Love you."

"I love you too, B."

* * *

They share a bed. They never need to sleep. Instead, it's more like dolls being tucked into their dollhouse beds, put away for the night like toys in a toybox.

"Lore?" B4 whispers.

"Yeah, B?"

"Why did you do that with the girl?"

Lore hums, pulling B4 close. "Because it feels good and it's what humans do."

"But why do humans do it?"

"To make more humans." Lore kisses B4's temple. "To make babies."

Talk of babies had always kept B4 in wide-eyed, stunned silence. He imagines the ewe's belly swelling with life, the lamb that was born in the spring, the one he got to hold. Then he looks up at Lore in the dark of their room.

"Lore, will we have a baby?"

Lore laughs, which makes B4 pout. "No, B. We can't have kids."

"Why not."

"First of all, B, we're androids," Lore explains. "Second, you need a girl to make babies with. Do you understand?"

B4 sighs but nods. "I understand."

"Good. No more questions tonight, okay?"

"Okay, Lore."

But B4 wonders if having a baby with Lore would be nice. He thinks so. After all, Lore's good with the animals born on the farm and Lore's never mean to the kids in the village, not even that one time they threw rocks at B4 and called him names.

He closes his eyes and thinks about it all night.

* * *

Noonian and Juliana go out for the day, leaving B4 and Lore all alone. The androids start in bed, Lore pressing B4 down into the sheets, fucking him properly in a bed. B4 cums twice there, Lore getting off three times, covering B4's chest with golden semen instead of filling him like usual. There's no need to hide right now since they're alone and no one's to be expected back until late.

From the bed, they move to the living room where Lore kisses down B4's neck, down his coated chest, pausing to bite at the jut of B4’s hipbones, which makes the older android moan. But he cries out even louder when Lore takes B4's cock into his mouth, bobbing his head, sucking just right.

B4 tastes unnatural and acidic down Lore's throat.

From there they move to the bathroom, showering together.

Here under the hot water, B4 kneels and tries the same thing Lore's done to him. It takes a few tries and it's clumsy and he gags a couple of times but it's not bad. In fact, Lore prefers the gagging. 

Lore cums on B4's face, splatterings of golden semen easily washed away.

They hardly bother with clothes. Lore pulls on some trousers and nothing else. B4 decides on a fitted tunic that covers him modestly, but would allow Lore to do as he liked.

But they settle in the living room, B4 in Lore's lap while the younger reads to him. They're sated enough to go months without each other. Lore rests his free hand on B4's thighs, hand creeping up under the hem of B4's tunic, cupping his hip. Lore wants them to stay like this forever: Just the two of them alone, no shame or judgement or fear of being caught. Just them, just this calm.

The front door chimes. 

B4 yelps, scrambling out of Lore's lap. Lore sets the PADD he's been reading aside, calmly standing. The door chimes again and B4 looks like he might cry.

"It's okay, B." 

Lore crosses the living room, the front door sliding open. Slender, freckled arms snake around his neck, a head of red curls pressed against Lore's neck.

"Laura." His voice is cold, impersonal.

"Lore, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have gotten so mad at you." She kisses his cheek. "Please, Lore - "

"I think you should go."

Laura stands on tiptoes, looking past Lore at B4. She catches a flash of B4's thigh as he curls into himself, looking at her with wide yellow eyes. Then she turns to Lore, her blue eyes wide with rage and disgust.

"It's because you're fucking him, aren't you?" Laura asks. "Your own twin."

Lore takes her by the shoulders but his head twitches, mouth contorting into a grimace. "L-Laura listen . . ." He closes his eyes and sighs, the twitching stopping before he opens his eyes and continues, "Laura, listen to me. You're imagining things. B4's my brother. I wouldn't be fucking him."

B4 understands he needs to nod along, eyes wide.

"You're disgusting, Lore." She pulls away from him, glaring at him for a moment. She turns and storms off, back down to the village. 

Lore steps away from the door, head jerking again. B4 hurries to Lore's side, hugging him tightly. The younger android puts a hand on B4's back.

"He's going to be so pissed," Lore mutters. 

"He's going to be very mad," B4 agrees.

* * *

Lore prowled around the house like a hungry housecat - yellow yes focused on nothing while he listened to the discussion seeping in from the kitchen. Words like "naive" and "dangerous" and "unstable" and deactivate" slipped through the seam between wall and door.

Finally, a shrill "No!"

The cry has set the house still. Lore pauses in his pacing at the kitchen door, as if he's been caught with his metaphorical hands in the metaphoric cookie jar. B4 freezes in sorting his wood blocks, one held in his hand, halfway between chaos and order.

"Lore!"

"Shhh!"

B4's lip quivers, as though he might cry. Instead, he gets angry and sweeps an arm across the order he's made out of the multi-coloured blocks, inviting entropy as the colours and shapes all blend together back into disorder.

"B," Lore says affectionately. The conversation in the kitchen has died down to quiet murmurings, nothing of real importance. Lore kneels, picking up a pink triangle and crossing the room to offer it to his older brother. "B, don't be like that."

B4 crosses his arms, silent and sullen and stubborn as he glares at Lore.

Lore kneels next to him, gathering the blocks and re-sorting them. "B, don't do this."

"Father is upset with me."

It's the most self-aware the prototype has been.

"Father is going to disassemble me."

Correction: That's the most self-aware B4's ever been.

"B, he won't do that," Lore assure him. "I won't let him."

B4 breaks, crying. He throws his arms around Lore, face buried in his younger brother's neck. Loud, hiccuping sobs erupt from B4's throat.

Lore can do nothing but rub his older brother's back, whisper soft things to him, and kiss his tear-streaked cheeks.

* * *

Lore and Noonian spend the night before arguing, going in circles about whether or not to let B4 go with Lore. Lore points out that B4 is always happiest when seeing the trade ships. Noonian questions Lore's honesty.

"I cannot lie to you, Dad," Lore says. "I won't touch him."

"If you do, Lore . . ."

B4 makes a soft noise. "Lore won't hurt me."

They both turn and stare at B4 for a while. Then, slowly, Noonian nods.

"You can take him tomorrow," Noonian says. "But if I found out you've laid a single hand on him . . ."

"I won't," Lore promises.

B4 looks down at his hands, folded in his lap. "Lore will be good."

But both androids know Lore has something planned.

Lore spends the night in the living room. B4 hates being alone in their bed. It's too big and too cold and he misses Lore. B4 spends the night crying, curled up tightly and the entire morning sullen.

When they go out, Lore's distant, cold. He takes B4's hand, but it's merely a manner of guiding him, not affectionate. 

"B, do you trust me?"

"Yes, Lore."

"Good." 

The Caitian trader's back, grinning and offering B4 some sweets. B4 accepts tentatively, looking at Lore to make sure it's okay.

"He's got some good craftsmanship to him," the Caitian purrs. "You're sure he's not for sale?"

Lore turns to B4 and murmurs, "I'm sorry. I need to keep you safe."

B4 opens his mouth to ask but Lore's fingers find his switch. The curiosity is replaced by betrayal and he collapses into Lore's arms.

"I actually need to get him off this planet," Lore explains.

The Caitian raises a brow, intrigued by Lore's change of heart.

* * *

Noonian takes Lore apart with a heavy heart. Each limb is stored away where, hopefully, he'll be granted some respite.

Juliana's arms are crossed, lips pursed. "We'll do better with the next one."

"How can we be sure?" Noonian asks, cupping Lore's cheek. "How do we know Data won't be just like Lore?"

Juliana thinks about it for a long moment, "We could create a subroutine, something to recognize the code and make them undesirable."

Noonian looks over. He nods. "It might work."

"We could bring Lore-"

"No!" Noonian sets Lore's head in place too hard. He runs his fingers through the android's hair, a silent apology. "No. Lore . . . Lore needs to stay disassembled, I think."

Juliana nods. She offers her hand to Noonian. "We'll do better with Data."

* * *

B4 knows he is supposed to be quiet, a lesson he learned the hard way from an Orion first mate and a particularly creative and cruel Romulan. But now, brought nude and in chains before Praetor Shinzon, B4 feels terror burning through his neural net, flooding his body's processes.

"He is handsome," Shinzon comments. "Dr. Soong makes fine things."

"Do you think this will work?" Shinzon's first mate asks. "I mean, it will take some doing to create the perfect lure out of him."

"It will work," Shinzon says firmly.

He rises, circling B4, inspecting him. He places a hand on B4's shoulder, on his hip, cupping his face, studying the android. He's finely crafted and it's such a shame to let a thing of beauty become a tool.

"Take him to my quarters first. Clean him up. Dress him," Shinzon orders. "Then we'll start modifying him."

The officer who brought B4 in nods, taking B4's chains and dragging him off. Once they're out of earshot, the Romulan grins. "Shinzon likes pretty things, robot. You are to behave for him, just like you're behaving now."

B4 nods, following obediently. "Yes, Sir."

"It's a shame he'll have to wipe your memory when he’s done with you," the Romulan adds. "What can you do about it?"

"Nothing, Sir," B4 answers softly. "I am built to serve."


End file.
